The San Francisco 49ers signed Ashtyn Davis after a couple of OTA practices and waived running back Jermar Jefferson to make room on the roster. The move gives San Francisco another experienced defensive back to sort through at safety as the team keeps reshaping the back end of its defense.

Davis comes to the 49ers after starting 12 games last season for the Miami Dolphins and playing 681 snaps, a workload that showed he could handle a major role. He played 495 of those snaps at free safety, lined up at linebacker depth for 124 more and logged 42 snaps in the slot, which hints at how Miami used him as a hybrid piece rather than a pure box defender.

That usage matters because the 49ers did not add a safety in free agency or draft one, and the closest body type they brought in this offseason was Nate Hobbs. Davis gives them a veteran option with range, but he also arrives with a profile that is a little more specialized than the label suggests. He is better suited to a dime linebacker spot on obvious passing downs than to living full time as a true linebacker, and that could shape where San Francisco tries him first.

His recent injury record will also hang over the evaluation. Davis was inactive in Weeks 9 and 10 last season because of a quad issue, missed a pair of games in 2024 after entering concussion protocol and then sustained a non-contact lower-left leg injury during training camp in 2025. Those are the details that turn a simple depth signing into a test of how much the 49ers trust him to stay on the field.

For now, the deal is straightforward: San Francisco added competition, Jefferson lost his roster spot and Davis gets a chance to carve out a role after five seasons with the New York Jets and one in Miami. What comes next is a camp battle that will tell the 49ers whether he is a safety answer, a sub-package chess piece or just another name cycling through the room.